Memory Monster

Tag Archives: vegnet

We’ve been back about an hour and a half from Portland VegFest. The 3-hour drive home wasn’t too bad. I think everyone had a good time, so the family trip was a win.

The animals are all in good shape and glad to see us—we lucked into a couple of friends taking care of our babies and it looks like they did a great job. It was so nice to not have to worry about our animal family. Honestly, we haven’t traveled much in the last few years and they may very well have enjoyed the break from us. And I got a couple of nights without a black and white kitty stealing my pillow.

My splurge this weekend, other than just taking the family and everything that entailed (hotel, eating out—yikes!), was a few new vegan message-wear tops: a couple from Herbivore, a couple from Action for Animals. I’ve worn my old favorites ad nauseam over the last couple of years, so it’s great to bring some new ones into the mix.

I got some things clarified with financial aid yesterday and also was able to login to both of my grad courses for the first time. This all online program is kind of using old-school technology—Blackboard, for the most part—which is pretty common in university systems. Having spent the last 6 years working with much more flexible and responsive collaboration software {SharePoint}, I’m finding it a little cumbersome. But it will do—it has a basic discussion forum and they are going to add in some Google hangouts periodically. I’ve been starting to read books that are available at the library (it will be a while before I get any financial aid money back), and watching the required videos for the many “film fests.” I’m enjoying it so far.

This afternoon, I also worked on our show notes for last Tuesday’s show, but still didn’t have time to finish them. Hopefully tomorrow. Late afternoon, we went to a school get-together for the twins, a sort of meet and greet and ramping up for when school starts next week. {Already?!} Then I got dropped at the station and my partner in crime and I worked on an application for a sustainability award through our local environmental center. Due date = tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll be getting it in, if at the last minute. {In our defense, we only found out about it last week.}

There are also a bunch of consulting/training things which are falling through the cracks, and desperately need attention next week.

Not enough sleep last night and very little rest today—especially way too much time on the phone (I’ve discovered I really don’t like talking on the phone anymore)—but it was a day of new possibilities, so that’s good. Talked with a potential new client, arranged two interviews for the radio show, got some financial aid info in, did news research, and recorded news at the station.

a. to bring to a state of great tension; excite (usually used in the past participle):

He was all wound up before the game.

b. to bring or come to an end; conclude: to wind up a sales campaign.

c. to settle or arrange in order to conclude: to wind up one’s affairs.

d. to become ultimately: to wind up as a country school teacher.

e. Baseball . (of a pitcher) to execute a windup.

Tomorrow’s our monthly VegNet potluck. It’s a bummer that once in a while my WordPress/Web Design & Dev group, which meets every other Wednesday, falls on the potluck night. I really wanted to go tomorrow too, as somebody is presenting on the dos and don’ts of video hosting and blogging. But since I help organize the potluck and need to help set up, it’s hard for me to not be there. We just don’t have enough volunteers.

Man, I did a lot of running around today, including ~ four ! ~ trips to the twins’ school across town (Dad going to district track meet with son required some extra juggling, plus an additional trip for a forgotten item).

I also had a VegNet lunch and later discussed a promising (not that I want to jinx it) consulting opportunity.

Then, I had forgotten to vote, so I ran home to do that quickly and drove it down to the drop-box with 2 minutes to spare.

Our Worldwide Vegan Bake Salewas super fun. It was different from any other tabling we’ve ever done. A couple of years ago we sold Field Roast hot dogs at the same fair, but we barely broke even. This time, as all of the goodies were donated, we were able to successfully raise a bit of extra cash for the group. So we can do more events and talk to even more people.

It was one of the first beautiful warm days of spring and people were out in droves. We had a nice variety of baked goods—several kinds each of cupcakes and cookies, and even pumpkin bread and dog biscuits! We also gave out samples of Field Roast, little pita pizzas with Daiya, coconut milk, and had literature available. We had plenty of volunteers, which made it go really smoothly as people had to come and go.

The twins had their yearly school fundraising event today as well, and we did some shuttling back and forth so they could both help set up in the morning, and help out and perform at the event all night (babysitting and serving, choir and rock band). They were able to come to the Earth Day Fair in between for a couple of hours and hang out with a friend from out of town, so they had a good day (but a very, very long one).

I also feel like I had a super long day. We were going from 8:30 on. I couldn’t have done it nearly so well without my older step-daughter’s help. Not only did she bake 60 cupcakes over the last few evenings, but she sold baked goods non-stop for about four hours straight. And she did it with a great attitude and I’m pretty sure was actually having a good time.

This afternoon, I had to have a nap on the porch, which was awesome. Later, I let Miss Calico out on the porch with me for a few minutes, thinking if she tried to escape through the broken lattice, I would have plenty of time to catch her. I was wrong. She escaped right in front of me through an impossibly small hole, jumped over the back fence, and was gone again for several hours. And, in looking for her, I went out the front door and let Pip out, who ran under the porch and let us chase her around a little too. We caught her pretty quickly—she just thinks it’s funny to do that to us—she doesn’t try very hard to get away. But I was pretty frustrated with all these calico shenanigans.

Miss Calico has not seemed very content since the last time she got out. She’s been getting up at the crack of dawn and meowlering for a couple of hours while looking out the windows. In our room. While we are trying to sleep. Nothing seems to console her. I don’t know if she wants to be outside with her buddies or what. She’s been spayed, so we can rule out being in heat, right? This afternoon, I didn’t try to go after her after a fruitless half hour. Every time I’d move towards her, she’d act like I was some big bad stranger and run away. I figured she’d come back at dusk like last time.

So, I decided to walk Pilot Butte. I went about 7:15 when it had already begun cooling down. It was gorgeous up there tonight.

When I got back, I opened the garage, got the cat carrier out, got some food, put the food in the carrier, then decided to call for “kitty” for a few minutes. Sure enough, I saw an outline in the dusk across the street. I sat down on the bench and talked to her. She came over, obviously thinking about the food. With only a little bit of wariness, she came on the porch and let me grab her. Then we went inside with the food and I fed her. I don’t know quite what to do with her. We don’t know if she really wants to be here. Would she do better in a different home? Or does she not want to live inside a house? Remains to be seen.